Wednesday, April 28, 2010

The Scary Pill : Hormones and Pheromones

According to researchers, women tend to choose different men when we're on the pill than we otherwise would. The reason is that during ovulation, our hormones peak. When on the pill, we do not ovulate and the hormones which usually flow into our blood never get released.

This means the men we would usually pick at the time we are most likely to get pregnant, the typically masculine men, we no longer want. Instead, we go for the type of guys we would pick when we are not ovulating - caring, more feminine guys who resemble ourselves.

Although we'd like to think we're making an informed decision, whether or not we are on the pill (and the hormones that go with it) can actually influence our decision when it comes to picking a mate.

The influence of the pill does not stop there. When women do not ovulate, we no longer produce pheromones, which all over the animal kingdom, including for us human beings, is a scent or a stimulant for attracting those of the opposite sex.

It's what tells animals when the females are in heat, and humans also subconsciously react to it. Selling "pheromones" in little bottles has become an industry, advertising that this will make you irresistible (kind of like the Axe commercials for men). The pill removes this natural element completely.


So.. side effects of the pill are; you get attracted to feminine men, you get less attractive to all men, and you want less sex.

And we think the pill is so great.. why exactly?

3 comments:

  1. Geoff5:44 AM

    I can only speak from the couples I know, but I suppose going without a condom more than makes up for the inconveniences the pill produces.

    Not that I agree with such lines of thinking, but there it is.

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  2. I think that depends on exactly what kind of side effects one experiences, because there are many more (and far more unpleasant) than these... it's not for nothing there's half a dozen other contraceptives many women favor over the pill!

    Condoms probably wouldn't be one of them, but they are necessary. Norwegians score the lowest in condom use and the highest in chlamydia - when girls start the pill at 13 I guess the boys never learn to use condoms.

    Still, I agree with those couples you know. Condoms, however necessary, are a hassle and not at all fun. When in a relationship they'll be the first thing out the door!

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  3. Pheromones are chemicals that are secreted in our sweat (and other bodily fluids) that release neurotransmitters that are believed to directly modify the behavior of the opposite sex, such as triggering sexual excitement. :)

    human pheromones

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